What’s in a label? What do we look for when we’re choosing sustainable fabrics? Whether you’re a clothes maker or a fashion lover who doesn’t love fashion’s impacts, selecting more sustainable fabrics is one area where our choices can have a tangible impact on the wellbeing of people, planet, and animals.

But there is a lot of debate about which fabrics are better. Does plant-based always equal good and synthetic equal bad? What new and innovative materials are backing up their claims with evidence? And what happens when we wash or dispose of these materials? Let’s find out.

Plant-based fibres

Recycled cotton

Cotton is one of the most common fabrics in the world. This plant-based fibre is light and breathable, which makes it a wardrobe staple. But growing cotton can be problematic: conventional cotton is one of the thirstiest and most chemical-intensive crops to grow. It requires a lot of pesticides and, as a result, harms the planet and the people who grow it.

Organic cotton can be a more sustainable alternative to conventional cotton, and has been booming in recent years. In theory, it aims to minimise the environmental impact of cotton production by trying to remove harmful pesticides and other chemicals from the production process. GOTS certified cotton is often the go-to recommendation for consciously grown cotton that is gentler on the planet and the people who create it. However, organic cotton certification recently came under fire when it was discovered much of the fibre marketed as organic may not be so: according to a report by The New York Times, “at the heart of the problem is an opaque certification system rife with opportunities for fraud.”

If you’re looking for the most sustainable cotton, go for recycled. Recycled or upcycled cotton is made using post-industrial and post-consumer cotton waste. According to the Textile Exchange’s Preferred Fiber and Materials Market Report 2021, recycled cotton is a more sustainable alternative to both conventional and organic cotton. It has the potential to help reduce water and energy consumption, as well as help keep cotton clothes out of landfills⁠.

Organic hemp

It seems like hemp is everywhere at the moment. Marijuana’s “sober cousin” is extremely versatile: it’s used as a food, a building material, in cosmetics, and it has been cultivated and used for hundreds of years as a fabric.

The great thing about hemp is that it’s grown all around the world, and it requires very little water, no pesticides, and naturally fertilises the soil it grows in⁠—making it much better for the environment than other crops.

One of the oldest fibres in the world, hemp helps keep you warm in winter, cool in summer, and gets softer the more you wash it, making it a great option for pieces that will stay in your wardrobe rotation for years to come.

Organic linen

Linen is another plant we’ve been growing for centuries. Similar to hemp, it’s derived from a very versatile crop: the flax plant. Linen requires minimal water and pesticides, and even grows in poor-quality soil. Plus, every part of the plant is used, so nothing is wasted. Linen is strong, naturally moth resistant, and⁠—when untreated⁠—fully biodegradable. In addition to being good for the planet, it is also light and can withstand high temperatures, absorbing moisture without holding bacteria. What’s not to like?

TENCEL® lyocell

TENCEL® is a light cellulose fabric which is created by dissolving wood pulp. The fibre is produced by Austrian company Lenzing AG. It’s been growing in popularity recently, and is said to be 50% more absorbent than cotton, and requires less energy and water to produce. Plus, the chemicals used to produce the fibre are managed in a closed-loop system. This means the solvent is recycled which reduces dangerous waste.

There’s another version of Tencel, called Refibra, made from upcycled cotton scraps. The cotton scraps are transformed into cotton pulp, which is then added to conventional dissolving wood pulp.

In addition, Tencel has moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial properties, making it perfect for activewear.

Animal-derived materials

Recycled wool

Wool is a durable animal-based fibre that is known for its longevity, warmth, and comfort. In its original form, wool is a resource-intensive material to produce and has associated ethical concerns. Recycled wool, like that traditionally processed in Italy by Manteco, reduces the environmental and ethical impacts significantly and, with so much of the fibre already in circulation, is becoming a desired recyclable option. It’s also diverse and easy to mix with other materials such as fleece. The industry is beginning to see less demand for virgin wool with the higher value placed on discarded garments or offcuts in the manufacturing process.

Futuristic and innovative fabrics

ECONYL

Another recycled material to consider is ECONYL. This yarn, created by Italian firm Aquafil, is derived from recycled synthetic waste such as industrial plastic, waste fabric, and fishing nets from the ocean. Despite being derived from recycled materials, ECONYL yarn is said to be of the same quality as virgin nylon yarn.

The manufacture of ECONYL uses less water and generates less waste than the manufacture of conventional nylon yarn. In the manufacture of ECONYL, waste is collected, cleaned, and shredded, and then depolymerised to extract a raw material called caprolactam. The caprolactam is then repolymerised and transformed into ECONYL yarn.

A clear downside of ECONYL is—like other synthetics—it emits microfibres. While this means it’s not the best choice for clothing that is frequently machine washed, it can be a practical and more sustainable option for shoes or clothing that is rarely washed or generally handwashed like activewear, swimwear, and outerwear. Pick yourself up a Guppy Bag for when you must machine wash.

Bananatex®

Launched in 2018 by Swiss brand QWESTION, Bananatex® is the world’s first durable fabric made purely from banana plants. Cultivated in the Philippines through a mix of agriculture and forestry, the banana plant is said to be self-sufficient, and requires no pesticides, fertiliser, or extra water.

In addition to winning a variety of international sustainability awards, such as the Green Product Award 2019 and the German Sustainability Award Design 2021, the Bananatex® fabric was certified Cradle to Cradle Gold.

In short, Bananatex® has the potential to be a truly circular alternative to synthetic fabrics already on the market, contributing to reforestation in areas once eroded due to monocultural palm plantations while enhancing biodiversity and the economic prosperity of its farmers.

Learn more about sustainable and ethical materials

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Brandy Melville’s practices are sealed shut

Fast fashion chain Brandy Melville launched in Italy in the ‘80s, but its real popularity began when it hit the streets of LA in 2009. It now has over 3 million Instagram followers and an extensive range of affordable and trendy clothing and accessories for teen girls or anyone who likes a 90s throwback. But is the brand ethical or sustainable?

Unfortunately, along with other fast fashion brands we avoid, Brandy Melville isn’t hitting the mark for people, the planet, or animals. Brandy Melville receives our lowest possible score of “We Avoid” because it doesn’t disclose sufficient information about its environmental, labour, and animal welfare policies. You have a right to know how the products you buy affect the issues you care about, and we recommend steering clear of this one.

If you like the youthful preppy vibe of Brandy Melville but would like to support brands doing their bit, then keep reading—we’ve found some fun “Good” and “Great” alternatives to Brandy Melville that might tick more of your boxes.

A note on affordability

Good On You wants to help you find sustainable options no matter your budget. But we recognise that many sustainable brands appear more expensive up front. That’s because more goes into a price tag than the cost of fabric. Fast fashion prices are often low because workers are not paid living wages and sustainable practices are not followed in production, as is the case with Brandy Melville.

Fast fashion has also distorted our view of clothing prices. We now spend much less and buy far more low-quality garments than we did a few decades ago. When taking into account cost-per-wear, higher-quality items you’ll wear again and again end up costing less in the long run despite the initial investment.

We aim to highlight the range of more affordable sustainable brands, but we also encourage you to seek out the most sustainable options that work for you. Sometimes this means shopping second hand, other times rediscovering and restyling what you already own.

Sustainable alternatives to Brandy Melville

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REVOLVE, e-commerce and sustainability leader?

Founded in 2003, REVOLVE has grown rapidly to become a fashion e-commerce leader, going public in 2019 and now boasting 5.4 million followers on Instagram.

But growth isn’t a smooth process and the brand has known its ups and downs. In 2018, REVOLVE had to remove a fat-phobic sweatshirt from its platform. More recently, REVOLVE received backlash on social media after the failure of its Coachella-like, influencer-only festival which “not only failed to meet attendees’ expectations, but jeopardised their physical safety in a disaster of mismanagement” according to The Harvard Crimson.

When it comes to sustainability, the brand says it understands “the importance of using [its] platform to create meaningful change in the way [it does] things today to ensure a better tomorrow” and that it is “committed to do its part to help protect the resources that we all share and depend on for our future” and “to stand up and make a substantial and long-lasting impact to fight inequality”. But is that really the case? How is REVOLVE really impacting people, the planet, and animals? In short: how ethical is REVOLVE?

Environmental impact

We rate REVOLVE “Very Poor” for its impact on the environment. It uses few eco-friendly materials, and we found no evidence that the brand reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain, that it has taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals, or that it implements water reduction initiatives.

The fashion industry is a massive consumer and polluter of fresh water. According to Common Objective, the industry is said to use around 93 billion cubic metres of water per year, enough to meet the needs of 5 million people. Water is a scarce resource, and it’s become crucial for REVOLVE to manage its water use and treatment of wastewater.

Removing invoices and offering paperless returns is nice, but it’s not enough.

Labour conditions

REVOLVE also rates “Very Poor” for people. The brand sources its final stage of production from countries with extreme risk of labour abuse and we found no evidence it has worker empowerment initiatives such as collective bargaining or rights to make a complaint. It also doesn’t appear to have any policies or safeguards to protect suppliers or workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19.

More importantly, we found no evidence REVOLVE ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. A living wage is the bare minimum wage required for workers to live a decent life. It’s different from the legal minimum wage, which is usually far below the living wage. Garment workers need to be protected and treated fairly.

Animal welfare

Finally, REVOLVE’s animal rating is “Not Good Enough”. Despite not using fur, down, angora, or exotic animal skin, the brand still uses leather and wool. We found also no evidence the brand has a policy to minimise the suffering of animals or that it traces any animal product to the first stage of production.

Overall rating: We Avoid

REVOLVE isn’t creating positive change through its operations like it claims, and the brand’s sustainability statement smells of greenwashing. REVOLVE is clearly not doing enough to reduce its impact on the planet and its inhabitants. It needs to do far more: starting with being more transparent about its practices, using more eco-friendly materials, ditching the harmful animal-based ones, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and making sure its workers are paid a living wage and treated fairly.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

Good swaps

Our favourite “Good” and “Great” alternatives to REVOLVE

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We want bags that don’t cost the Earth

You’ve surely heard the phrase “luxury bags are an investment”, but the reality is, a lot of designer purses aren’t that great for people, the planet, and animals. So is it really worth it if your investment negatively impacts our planet and its inhabitants?

The good news is there’s a growing number of conscious accessories brands creating high-quality, beautiful, timeless pieces that are also more ethical and sustainable.

We looked through the Good On You database and found some amazing “Good” and “Great” accessories brands creating sustainable luxury handbags that are really worth investing in.

Our list includes a few classic pieces, but also some unique finds, like the Mashu (UK) brass plated bucket bag, behno’s (US) bubblegum pink crossbody bag, or Santos by Monica’s (US) baguette bag.

Our favourite sustainable luxury handbags

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The plastic packaging problem

In recent years, we’ve come to learn that, contrary to Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” lyrics, “life in plastic” is not fantastic.

Plastic takes decades to decompose, releasing harmful chemicals into the earth and the air in the process and endangering the lives of a wide variety of species, including us.

As more and more people are starting to wake up to the devastating impacts of plastic, many governments have started banning single-use plastics, and many individuals are now switching to more eco-friendly and reusable options, especially when it comes to food packaging.

What about fashion?

It turns out fashion is no stranger to the single-use plastic problem: with the rise of online shopping and the increase in amounts of clothes purchased every year (looking at you, ultra fast fashion), we’ve also seen an increase in plastic packaging used by brands.

From the bag or box your order arrives in, to the individual bags the clothes and accessories are packaged in, our online orders are often full of plastic.

According to some studies, “packaging is the dominant generator of plastic waste, responsible for almost half of the global total.” That’s an enormous (and growing) amount of often non-recyclable waste.

But things are starting to change, and more eco-friendly alternatives are starting to appear.

We’ve talked about our tips for sustainable online shopping before, as we know shopping for ethical and sustainable fashion brands online is sometimes easier—and, in the current situation, even necessary. So today we’re covering sustainable packaging alternatives to look out for the next time you order fashion online.

Compostable packaging

Compostable packaging is made from plant-based or fossil fuel materials and can break down at the end of its life, providing the earth with useful nutrients. However, that doesn’t mean you can dispose of your compostable packaging wherever you like. As the name suggests, it has to be disposed of correctly and be added to your composting bin. Be careful—while all compostable packaging is also biodegradable, the contrary is not necessarily true, so always check the instructions on how to dispose of the packaging correctly. Unfortunately, brands will often try to greenwash here, even going so far as to use the word compostable when they really mean biodegradable. If the brand doesn’t provide specific instructions on the disposal of their packaging, chances are it’s not as simple as it seems.

The good news is some fashion brands have started looking at compostable packaging: New-Zealand-based Maggie Marilyn, for example, packages her garments using ComPlast, a cassava-based compostable bag. The brand goes even further by using compostable bags to ship wholesale items. The bags are made by The Better Packaging Company from corn starch and synthetic polymers.

German brand LANIUS has also been using compostable bags, and Finisterre uses marine safe garment bags and mailbags made from unbleached kraft pulp, both of which are compostable.

But creating and sourcing compostable bags is still time-consuming, costly, and there is a lack of processes and systems in place to make it a standard across the fashion industry. We look forward to seeing more and more brands jump on board to reduce their plastic footprint as this option becomes more accessible.

Recycled packaging

We’re also seeing a lot of brands—ethical or not—saying they use cardboard, recycled, or recyclable packaging when shipping online orders. One label to look out for here is the Forest Stewardship Council—while it’s not quite as good as compostable and biodegradable options, it ensures that the cardboard used comes from responsibly managed forests.

LANIUS, for example, offers the possibility to choose an already used carton as a shipping option for your order. All packaging materials they use, from cardboard to stickers, are also carefully selected.

Reformation is also paving the way for other sustainable brands: it uses plastic-free and 100% recycled paper products, as well as recycled paper hangers.

Another of our faves, Whimsy + Row, sends out products in 100% recycled and recyclable boxes that are pretty enough to reuse, too.

Fashion For Good has also launched a pilot in partnership with Adidas, C&A, Kering, Otto Group, and PVH Corp., “The Circular Polybag Pilot”, to reduce the use and impact of polybags in the fashion industry. The pilot is currently looking at a solution to manufacture recycled polybag, using a high percentage of post-consumer polybag waste.

Reusable packaging

A growing number of companies are also encouraging customers to reuse packaging and are offering easily reusable alternatives to traditional packaging.

RePack, for example, is looking to reduce waste in the fashion industry by providing retailers with reusable and returnable packaging. Amongst Repack’s customers is one of Good On You’s favourites: MUD Jeans. RePack’s packaging comes in three adjustable sizes which are designed to last at least 20 cycles. The customers can easily return the packaging for free by post and can be offered a reward for doing so.

Other brands are also shipping their products in reusable bags, such as HARA, which sends its sustainable underwear in beautiful OEKOTEX100 bamboo bags. These can be reused for storing things or to organise your belongings when travelling.

The plastic you don’t see

Even if some brands are doing their best to offer sustainable packaging options, there is likely still plastic packaging further up the supply chain that is less obvious to consumers.

In fact, items are often shipped to the brand’s distribution centre, shops, or to other parts of the supply chain in plastic packaging, to prevent them from being damaged.

In 2014, Patagonia experimented with completely eliminating the use of polybags. But the results were disappointing and the brand quickly realised it wasn’t possible to ship products without a plastic polybag as doing so damaged items to the point that they became unsellable. Patagonia concluded that a damaged garment has a greater environmental cost than the polybags and Patagonia is, to this day, still looking for an alternative.

Packaging reduction

While the sustainable packaging movement is a commendable one and all the options mentioned above are certainly better than plastic, another important pillar in the sustainability of supply chains and shipment to remember is packaging reduction. It’s great that brands are using compostable or recycled materials, but this should be happening alongside reducing the amount needed altogether. All too often, online orders (or even supply chain orders) are packaged in far more layers than strictly necessary, and a great step in reducing the environmental footprint of a brand would be the elimination of this excess plastic.

What you can do

Not buying or shopping less is always the most sustainable way to go, but if you need to buy something online and want to reduce your environmental footprint then we recommend looking for the sustainable packaging options mentioned above.

Of course, shopping physically, whether for new or second hand items, is also a good option to reduce the amount of packaging and single-use plastic. You can ask for a paper bag or, even better, bring your own reusable bag. If the activist in you is itching to have a say here, consider contacting brands you know to use unsustainable packaging practices and call for change.

Discover our tips to shop online sustainably and reduce your impact

The post Eco-Friendly Packaging Is in Fashion: What Does It Mean and What Are Your Options? appeared first on Good On You.

Winter boots: the practical cold weather staple

Nothing says practical style like a good pair of boots, and winter is on the way for the southern hemisphere. But finding boots that match your aesthetic and your morals can be tricky. Luckily, the Good On You team has been on the hunt for stylish, sustainable, and ethical boots to keep your feet warm, dry, and chic.

Here’s our list of great looking boots from brands doing right by people, the planet, and animals. With options like weatherproof vegan boots from Thesus (Canada), to eye-catching white boots from Good Guys (France), and Victorian style paddock boots made from deadstock leather from Christy Dawn (US), there’s bound to be a boot to warm your foot this season.

The post Our 13 Favourite Sustainable and Ethical Boots for Winter appeared first on Good On You.

All that glitters is not green

Not all jewellery is created equal. Engagement rings and wedding bands in particular can have quite negative social and environmental impacts: the gold industry is one of the most destructive industries in the world, often illegally-traded diamonds can fuel conflicts, and don’t get us started on the unfair treatment of workers.

So, we went on the hunt for some jewellery brands that create more sustainable and ethical pieces for your big day, and that, unlike Tiffany & Co. (Not Good Enough), Pandora (Not Good Enough) and Cartier (Not Good Enough), rate “Good” and “Great”. The rings listed in this article are not only stunning, they’re also made from more responsibly sourced materials and are better for people, the planet, and animals.

For a classic look, we love Courbet’s (France) solitaire ring and AGMES’ (US) stackable bands, but if you’re on the hunt for something a little more unique, check out Bleue Burnham’s (UK) colourful engagement ring or AuTerra’s (South Africa) hammered wedding bands.

Sustainable engagement rings

The post 22 Beautiful Sustainable Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands for Your Special Moment appeared first on Good On You.

Sustainability embroidered into the garments

Love the crochet tops resurgence but want to avoid the ultra fast fashion brands pumping them out like hotcakes? Meet Mochi.

Artisanal fashion brand Mochi was founded in 2013 by designer Ayah Tabari, inspired by her love of “colour, beautiful fabrics, and traditional methods of embroidery.” Today, the brand is based in Amsterdam and is worn by the likes of Rita Ora, Cara Delevigne, and Blake Lively. Its clothing is colourful, unique, and designed to “contribute to a better world”. Let’s take a closer look at Mochi’s impact on people, the planet, and animals and answer: how ethical is Mochi?

Environmental impact

Mochi gets our highest score of “Great” for the planet. The brand is built on the idea of slow, meaningful creation of long-lasting pieces. Its designs are handmade and combine deadstock fabric or pieces from previous collections with vintage classics sourced from all over the world.

Using a high proportion of eco-friendly materials reduces the brand’s climate impact and limits the amount of chemicals, water, and wastewater used in production.

Always working to be better than the day before, Mochi is currently working on finding more sustainable materials for its pieces and working alongside suppliers to reduce the use of water in the supply chain. It is also doing its best to offer less-in-demand sizes on pre-order to minimise overproduction and deadstock.

Labour conditions

When it comes to people, Mochi is doing “Good”. Its final production stage is undertaken in the Netherlands, a low-risk country for labour abuse. It traces most of its supply chain and regularly visits most of its suppliers.

While one of the brand’s three pillars of sustainability is “People”, and it states: “We ensure all our suppliers are providing fair and safe working conditions”, it is unclear whether Mochi ensures payment of a living wage to its artisans. Clarifying this could boost the brand’s score here.

Animal welfare

Mochi is also rated “Good” for the animals. The brand avoids fur, leather, down, exotic animal skin, and angora. However, it does use recycled wool and exotic animal hair in some pieces, so be sure to double-check the garment’s composition before purchasing if you’d rather avoid animal-based fabrics.

Overall rating: Good

Overall, we’re happy to award Mochi our second-highest score of “Good” for its efforts across the board. This fun and popular brand is doing right by people, the planet, and animals in its striking designs and is well worth supporting.

See the rating.

Shop Mochi.

Check out our selection of “Good” and “Great” colourful clothing brands

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Another trendy, low effort TikTok brand

Based in the US, Edikted is a Gen Z-oriented online fashion brand, heavily influenced by pop culture, technology, and style. While the brand seems to focus on the latest styles and trends and is hugely popular on TikTok, it has stayed far away from making any inroads when it comes to sustainability or ensuring worker’s rights. Let’s take a look and answer the question: how ethical is Edikted?

We’re not so Edikted

In our “How Ethical Is” series, we usually have a closer look at a brand’s rating and break it down so that you know more about how the brand is performing across the three key areas of environmental impact, labour conditions, and animal welfare.

Unfortunately, for Edikted, there isn’t much to say for people and the planet. Our team scoured the brand’s website, but Edikted provides insufficient relevant information about its environmental impact or labour conditions, earning it our lowest score of “Very Poor” across those two key areas.

Not appearing to use any animal products in its pieces, though not explicitly stating it is a vegan brand, Edikted rates “Good” for animals.

Overall, the brand is rated “We Avoid”, our lowest possible score. As a shopper, you have the right to know how Edikted’s production practices impact the world and its inhabitants.

Edikted should start disclosing more information about how, where, and by whom its items are produced, as well as the materials used. Transparency is crucial to ethical and sustainable fashion and is the first step towards reducing a business’ impact.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

Love the Y2K vibes of Edikted but want to support brands doing better? We’ve rounded up some alternatives that might meet your needs. Also check out our Y2K article for more inspo on how to achieve the look sustainably.

Good swaps

“Good and “Great” alternatives to Edikted

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Fashion’s water impacts: The industry is a thirsty one

The fashion industry is a massive consumer and polluter of our fresh water. According to Common Objective, the industry is said to use around 93 billion cubic metres of water per year, enough to meet the needs of 5 million people. Worryingly, this amount is expected to double by 2030.

Water is used throughout the production process of any garment, starting with growing the plants or animals needed to make fabrics. Cotton, in particular, is a thirsty crop: a single cotton garment requires thousands of litres, as well as large quantities of pesticides and insecticides, which then wash into waterways and enter the ecosystems.

The fashion industry is said to use around 93 billion cubic metres of water per year, enough to meet the needs of 5 million people.

The manufacturing stage also contributes to the water footprint of fashion. Fabric dyeing and treatment are responsible for untreated wastewater being pumped back into our water systems, contaminating them with toxins and heavy metals. As highlighted in the groundbreaking documentary, RIVERBLUE, each year, textile companies not only consume water but also discharge millions of gallons of chemicals into our waterways, causing both environmental damage and diseases. Denim, in particular, is very water intensive: it’s heavily dependent on cotton fibres, and it requires water intensive dyeing and finishing processes.

Sadly, items keep polluting waters long after they’ve left the shelves. Polyester is one of the world’s most common fibres, and it uses the same material found in plastic bottles. And when we wash our polyester clothes, thousands of plastic microfibres are passed into the waterways. These microfibres end up in our oceans, where they threaten ecosystems and end up in our food chain.

Water is a scarce resource, and it’s become crucial for fashion brands to manage their water use and treatment of wastewater. But water management isn’t just about the quantity of water used. The real risk lies in the geographical location. Thirsty crops are often located in water-stressed basins, in which water is scarce, polluted or necessary for vulnerable local communities. Being water efficient is not enough and brands made sure their products aren’t made in water stressed areas.

How Good On You rates brands for water

Good On You analyses brands on three key areas of concern to consumers: the environment, labour, and animals. Water is one of the elements we consider when looking at how a brand impacts the environment.

As mentioned earlier, when managing water use within the supply chain, it is important not just to consider how much water is used, but also where the water is being used. “Unlike climate change, where one tonne of CO2 has a similar impact wherever it is released in the world, the value of one megalitre varies”, says Kristian Hardiman, Good On You’s Head of Ratings. Water impact is a complex issue that needs to be considered at the local level.

Unlike climate change, where one tonne of CO2 has a similar impact wherever it is released in the world, the value of one megalitre varies.

Kristian Hardiman – Good On You’s Head of Ratings

The Good On You approach for large brands is to firstly map their traced suppliers to determine whether they are operating in water-stressed basins. Based on this, we’ll look at whether the brand engages with local stakeholders in that basin to assure strong water management, sets targets and goals. Often the actions with suppliers will involve implementing water reduction initiatives and wastewater treatment and discharge.

Because smaller brands have less influence, we focus less on the stakeholder engagement, and more on whether brands have water reduction and waste water treatment initiatives in place. Often small brands meet this by sourcing certified materials which ensure lower consumption of water

Certifications like Cradle to Cradle Platinum and Gold, Bluesign, GOTS, STeP by Oeko-Tex, and Global Recycled Standard (GRS) will often provide evidence that a brand is working towards reducing its water footprint. And if a brand discloses to CDP Water, we will incorporate the score into the rating.

The sad truth: most brands do very little for water

Over the years, we’ve analysed thousands of brands, and sadly, very few of them have implemented water reduction and wastewater management initiatives. This is, in part, because many brands are still unaware of how to manage water properly.

57% of large brands we have rated since 2021 get our two lowest scores for water management and reduction initiatives.

Another issue we’ve faced is brands’ lack of transparency regarding their environmental policies in general, which means we don’t know exactly how these brands are impacting our waterways. Cider, Dolls Kill, ThirdLove, and Skims are examples of such brands.

54% of large brands we have rated since 2021 get 0 points in our methodology for their water management and reduction initiatives.

But what about the other brands? The ones that do share some information about their environmental impact? We analysed all the brands in our database to find the worst water use offenders: the ones that don’t disclose any information about water, that receive a poor score from CDP Water, do not track and measure their water impact and use, set water targets or goals, or measure their wastewater produced.

These brands are amongst the worst water use offenders

The post Fashion’s Water Impacts: The Largest Brands Are Doing the Least appeared first on Good On You.

Vans is making a start, but it’s not enough

With over half a century of production under its belt, one would think Vans has had time to figure out how to reduce its impact on people, the planet, and animals.

Sadly, this isn’t the case. Vans has made little progress for the planet: the brand’s use of a few eco-friendly materials and setting up an absolute target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are the only bright spots. Vans doesn’t appear to minimise textile waste or packaging, and there is no evidence it is on track to meet its greenhouse gas target.

Despite being somewhat transparent (it received a score of 51-60% in the Fashion Transparency Index), Vans lacks some crucial policies to protect its workers. None of its supply chain is certified by labour standards which ensure worker health and safety, living wages, or other labour rights.

Vans is doing slightly better for animal welfare. The brand has an animal welfare policy in place, and it doesn’t use fur, angora, or other exotic animal skin or hair. That said, Vans still uses leather, down (accredited by the Responsible Down Standard), and wool from non-mulesed sheep.

We rate Vans “It’s a Start” overall, but there’s a lot of room for improvement. The brand needs to strengthen its environmental practices, report on its progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and use more environmentally friendly and less animal-derived materials. It also needs to improve its labour conditions by implementing worker empowerment initiatives and, more importantly, making sure workers are paid a decent living wage.

We’ve got you covered if you like the Vans look but want to rebel against its less than sustainable and ethical practices. Below you’ll find five amazing, more sustainable alternatives to Vans.

Sustainable alternatives to Vans

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Avant-garde is great, but sustainability is better

Maison Margiela, formerly known as Maison Martin Margiela, is an avant-garde haute couture brand, founded in 1988 by Belgian designer Martin Margiela. The brand is known for its inventive, deconstructed, and unconventional designs and shows. You might have already heard about the Tabi boot, a split-toe shoe taking inspiration from the traditional Japanese socks bearing the same name. Like many luxury fashion labels, Maison Margiela even collaborated with H&M to launch a limited edition collection in 2012.

But how is Maison Margiela impacting people, the planet, and animals? In short, how ethical is Maison Margiela?

Environmental impact

We couldn’t find evidence that Maison Margiela is actively working to reduce its impact on the environment. For this reason, we rate Maison Margiela “Very Poor” for the planet. The brand uses few eco-friendly materials and there is no evidence it minimises textile waste, reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain, or has taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals. With a climate crisis afoot, brands need to take responsibility for their impact on the planet or risk getting left behind.

Labour conditions

Maison Margiela also rates “Very Poor” for people. Despite most of its final stage of production being undertaken in Italy, a medium risk country for labour abuse, the brand isn’t transparent enough: Maison Margiela received a score of 0-10% in the Fashion Transparency Index. The brand publishes limited information about its supplier policies and audits. It also doesn’t disclose any information about forced labour, gender equality or freedom of association, or any policies or safeguards to protect suppliers and workers in its supply chain from the impacts of COVID-19.

More importantly, we found no evidence Maison Margiela ensures payment of a living wage in its supply chain. A living wage is the bare minimum wage required for workers to live a decent life. It’s different from the legal minimum wage, which is usually far below the living wage. Garment workers need to be protected and treated fairly.

Animal welfare

Maison Margiela rates “Very Poor” for animals, too. The brand has a general statement about minimising animal suffering but no formal animal welfare policy. Maison Margiela doesn’t use fur and exotic animal skin, but it still uses leather, wool, angora, down, and exotic animal hair. For these animal-derived materials, we found no evidence they were traced even to the first stage of production. There is no way to know how the animals are treated along the supply chain without transparency here.

Overall rating: We Avoid

Maison Margiela rates “Very Poor” for the three key areas of people, planet, and animals.

The brand is clearly not doing enough to reduce its impact on the planet and its inhabitants. It needs to be more transparent about its practices, use more eco-friendly materials, ditch the harmful animal-based ones, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and make sure its workers are paid a living wage and treated fairly.

Until Maison Margiela improves its rating, “We Avoid” the brand and we recommend you do too.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

Good swaps

“Good” and “Great” alternatives to Maison Margiela

The post How Ethical Is Maison Margiela? appeared first on Good On You.

How sustainable are custom-printed brands?

Sustainable fashion is becoming increasingly popular. After learning how to avoid falling into greenwashing traps, it’s easy to find more sustainable options for t-shirts, hoodies, accessories, and more.

But what if you want to zhuzh things up and have something a little more unique?

Enter: custom-printed brands. Custom t-shirts are a great way to get a message across, whether you’re a small business looking for merch or an individual who wants to commemorate an event.

Unfortunately, not all custom printing companies are created equal. Let’s take a look at the most popular print on demand brands and how they’re impacting people, the planet, and animals. Keep reading to see how sustainable custom-printed brands are and discover more sustainable options.

The post How Sustainable Are Custom-Printed Brands Like Printful and Printify? appeared first on Good On You.

A not-so-mindful yoga brand

With almost 3 million followers on Instagram, Alo Yoga is one of the world’s most well known and well-loved yoga brands, alongside Lululemon.

It all began in Los Angeles in 2007 when Alo Yoga’s founders decided to “spread good by bringing yoga to the world”. Alo Yoga claims to elevate yogis’ practices, whether they’re beginners or more advanced on their yoga journey. But Alo isn’t just a yoga brand—it’s also worn outside of the studio by celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid, and Kendall Jenner.

But how sound is the good that Alo Yoga claims to be spreading? How is Alo Yoga impacting the world beyond the yoga mats? How ethical is Alo Yoga? Let’s take a look.

Environmental impact

We rate Alo Yoga “Very Poor” for its impact on the environment. It uses few eco-friendly materials, and we found no evidence that Alo Yoga minimises textile waste, reduces its carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain, or that it has taken meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals.

Having a “solar-powered office, electric-car charging stations, and an advanced recycling program that reduces waste to that of a small household” is a good step, but it’s not enough.

Labour conditions

Alo Yoga’s labour rating is “Not Good Enough”. Again, we noticed a lack of adequate initiatives to protect workers and ensure they are treated fairly. We found no evidence Alo Yoga has worker empowerment initiatives such as collective bargaining or rights to make a complaint or that it provides payment of a living wage in its supply chain.

Alo Yoga traces some of its supply chain, and its final stage of production is certified by WRAP, which focuses on addressing social issues and labour rights in manufacturing facilities, including all ILO Fundamental Principles, payment of a minimum wage (which is different from a living wage), worker health and safety provisions, working hours, and protections for subcontractors.

Animal welfare

Finally, Alo Yoga’s animal rating is also “Not Good Enough”. Despite not using fur, angora or exotic animal skin, the brand still uses leather, down, exotic animal hair, and wool. We found no evidence Alo Yoga has a policy to minimise the suffering of animals or that it traces any animal product to the first stage of production.

Overall rating: We Avoid

Based on information from our own research, we rate Alo Yoga “We Avoid” overall.

“Ahimsa”, or non-violence, is one of the core principles of yoga, and it asks yogis to cause no harm in thought, speech, or action to any living being. Sadly, it seems that Alo Yoga is not living by this principle.

The brand doesn’t share enough information about how it impacts the planet, people, and animals. Its lack of policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste or protect workers and animals in its supply chain is worrying.

Alo Yoga needs to be more transparent and step up its ethical and sustainable practices if it really wants to spread good.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

Looking for cute and conscious yogawear? We found some “Good” and “Great” alternatives to Alo Yoga, serving up some of the best yoga clothing on the market—with values and practices to match.

Good swaps

Our favourite “Good” and “Great” alternatives to Alo Yoga

The post How Ethical Is Alo Yoga? appeared first on Good On You.

Why the tote is the perfect everyday bag

Tote bags are the ultimate versatile accessory. They’ll take you to work in the morning, yoga in the evening, and the beach or farmer’s market on the weekend.

These days, you can find every style of tote imaginable, from the traditional cotton tote to the more modern leather tote (or their vegan alternatives) and even straw totes.

But not all tote bags are created equal. So we looked high and low to find 22 climate-friendly, sustainable tote bags that’ll fit all your essentials and match your values.

Some of our faves include Culthread’s (UK) vegan puffer tote, the raw denim tote by A.BCH (AU), and the artisan crafted leather tote in hot pink by Raven + Lily (US).

The post 22 Climate-Friendly Sustainable Tote Bags to Fit Your Life appeared first on Good On You.

Go local with sustainable brands from Belgium

Belgium might be a small country, but it sure does have a lot to offer. Besides tasty waffles, Belgium is known to be the home of the European Union, NATO, and numerous other international organisations. It’s also home to a growing number of ethical and sustainable fashion retailers, with cities like Antwerp punching above their weight when it comes to sustainable style. Before we dive into the brands, let’s learn about what makes a brand ethical in the first place.

What makes an ethical brand?

Long story short, an ethical brand makes sure it positively impacts on people, the planet, and animals.

An ethical brand ensures its workers are treated fairly across the supply chain. This includes policies and practices on child labour, forced labour, worker safety, the right to join a union, and payment of a living wage.

An ethical brand also cares about its use of resources and energy, reducing its carbon emissions, impact on our waterways, as well as using and disposing of chemicals safely.

Finally, an ethical brand uses no or very few animal products, like wool, leather, fur, angora, down feather, shearling, karakul, and exotic animal skin and hair. Ideally, the brand is 100% vegan.

Now that you know what to look for to determine whether a brand is ethical or not, you might decide to shop from companies located in your country or region. Whether it is to support your local communities or reduce your carbon footprint when shopping online, shopping locally has many great benefits.

So if you live in Belgium, you might be wondering which clothing brands are ethical. We know how you feel, which is why we compiled this list of eco-friendly and conscious fashion brands from Belgium. These 5 brands have all been rated “Good” or “Great” using our first-class methodology and are amongst our favourites.

Not from Belgium? Check out our favourite brands from:

• the USA at large (and brands from LA and New York)
• Canada
• Europe (and more specifically from Spain and Portugal, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, and Switzerland)
• the UK (and brands from London)
• Australia and New Zealand

Our favourite ethical and sustainable brands from Belgium

The post The 5 Most Ethical and Sustainable Brands from Belgium appeared first on Good On You.

Free-spirited fast fashion doesn’t make the cut

If you’re into the bohemian vibe, you’ve surely come across Free People, an American label known for its range of aesthetic clothes and accessories, and worn by the likes of Kaia Gerber and Hailey Bieber.

Sadly, Free People’s free-spirited image doesn’t align with its ethics. Whilst the brand has made some progress, its reliance on a fast fashion model ultimately renders it unsustainable.

Free People isn’t doing enough

Free People rates “Not Good Enough” for people, the planet, and animals. While the American label (and its parent company URBN) has made some progress when it comes to reducing its impact on the planet, there is still room for improvement. Promoting reusable shopping bags, using energy efficient LED lighting in stores, improving fuel efficiency in transport, and renewable energy being installed in part of the brand’s direct operations, are nice touches, but not enough.

Free People needs to use more eco-friendly materials and make commitments to reduce direct and indirect carbon emissions, hazardous chemicals, water usage, and wastewater.

Sadly, none of Free People’s supply chain is certified by labour standards which ensure worker health and safety or other labour rights. The brand received a score of 11-20% in the Fashion Transparency Index, which shows it should be more transparent about its practices. We also found no evidence that Free People workers are being paid a living wage.

When it comes to animals, Free People also has a way to go before it can achieve a higher rating. The brand still uses leather, wool, and exotic animal hair from unspecified sources.

Overall, we’ve rated Free People “Not Good Enough”. The brand has taken some positive measures, but it’s simply not pulling its weight when it comes to protecting the Earth and its inhabitants. Free People has to do better for the planet, people, and animals, be more transparent, and treat all its workers fairly.

Like Free People’s boho vibe (think effortless and breezy style, floaty skirts or dresses, loose blouses, boots, and bold prints) but don’t dig the unfair treatment of people, the planet, and animals? We found the perfect “Good” and “Great” alternatives to Free People, just for you.

Sustainable alternatives to Free People

The post 8 Sustainable Alternatives to Free People We Know You’ll Love appeared first on Good On You.

Dolls Kill is killing its image with murky practices

Founded in 2011, Dolls Kill is a San Francisco-based online boutique with “a rebellious spirit and attitude, mixed with a bit of punk rock, goth, glam, and festival fashion”.

Sadly, Dolls Kill’s “rebellious spirit” has led the brand to be criticised on social media for its position on the Black Lives Matter movement, questionable t-shirt lines, and allegedly stealing ideas from smaller designers.

But how is Dolls Kills doing when it comes to sustainability? How does this free-spirited brand impact people, the planet, and animals? In short: how ethical is Dolls Kill? Let’s take a look.

A dire lack of transparency

In our “How Ethical Is” series, we usually have a closer look at a brand’s rating and break it down so that you know more about how the brand is performing across the three key areas of environmental impact, labour conditions, and animal welfare.

Unfortunately, in Dolls Kill’s case, there isn’t much to say. Our team scoured the brand’s website, but Dolls Kill provides insufficient relevant information about how it reduces its impact on people, the planet, and animals. This means that, at the time of writing, there isn’t enough information for us to dig deeper into the brand’s practices.

As a result, the brand is rated “We Avoid”, our lowest possible score. As a shopper, you have the right to know how Dolls Kill’s production practices impact the world and its inhabitants.

Dolls Kills should start disclosing more information about how, where, and by whom its items are produced, as well as the materials used. Transparency is crucial to ethical and sustainable fashion and is the first step towards reducing a business’ impact.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

If you want to rebel against the fast fashion industry and wave goodbye to unethical and unsustainable brands, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find five amazing brands that are just as cool as Dolls Kill, but way kinder to people, the planet, and animals.

Good swaps

“Good and “Great” alternatives to Dolls Kill

The post How Ethical Is Dolls Kill? appeared first on Good On You.

The baguette: an iconic bag

Originally designed by Fendi in 1997, the baguette quickly became an “it bag”. This minimalist shoulder bag even made an appearance in Sex and the City.

Fendi’s original baguette bag is made from calf leather (note that Fendi is rated “Not Good Enough”, including “Very Poor” for Animals), but these days you’ll find plenty of much cheaper—and less durable—dupes online, usually made from polyurethane. Ultra fast fashion giant SHEIN, for example, is selling PU leather baguette bags for as low as €3.

If you love the baguette bag, but don’t like the exploitation of people, the planet, and animals, don’t worry—there are some amazing fair fashion brands out there creating more sustainable baguette bags that are just as trendy and iconic as the original. Here are some of our favourite eco-friendly baguette bags.

Our favourite sustainable baguette bags

The post Our 8 Favourite Sustainable Baguette Bags for an Iconic Look appeared first on Good On You.

The good, and not so good

Brand ratings are the backbone of our mission at Good On You: to help you discover the very best sustainable fashion brands from around the world. Since 2015, we have been reading between the seams for you, uncovering brands doing harm, calling out greenwashing, and highlighting the sustainable brands doing good for people, the planet, and animals. Download our app or check out the directory to easily shop your values.

This month, we’re sharing 5 brands doing “Good” or “Great” (including vintage fashion from the UK, eco-friendly swimwear from Australia, and organic clothing from India), but also 6 brands you’re better off avoiding.

5 newly rated ‘Good’ and ‘Great’ brands

The post The 10 Best and Worst Newly Rated Brands of April appeared first on Good On You.

ThirdLove, the “bra brand darling of millenials”

Described by Forbes as the “bra brand darling of millenials”, ThirdLove is an American underwear brand founded in 2013 by Heidi Zak and her husband David Spector.

The brand is known for its body-positive and inclusive marketing, offering bras in many different sizes, including half cups. ThirdLove claims it’s helped over 18 million women find a bra that actually fits.

But is ThirdLove helping people, the planet, and animals in production? What’s ThirdLove’s impact on the Earth and its inhabitants? It’s time we answer the question: how ethical is ThirdLove?

How ethical is ThirdLove?

Sadly, there’s not much to say about ThirdLove. Usually, in these types of articles, we have a closer look at the brand’s rating and break it down so that you know more about how a brand is performing across the three key areas of environmental impact, labour conditions, and animal welfare.

But for ThirdLove, we didn’t find much.

The brand does talk about the factories it’s working with in Asia and that it makes sure all its partners are providing good working conditions and following local labour laws by working with “expert third-party auditors to audit factories at least every year”. The brand also states it is collaborating with its partners “to improve working conditions according to internationally accepted standards”.

ThirdLove also highlights its work with organisations like I Support the Girls, Soles4Souls, Good360, and St. Anthony’s, to which they’ve donated over $50 million of products to help women. When returned products can’t be donated or resold, the brand says it works with Texaid to upcycle these materials into new uses.

But, this is not enough. Overall, ThirdLove provides insufficient relevant information about how it reduces its impact on people (including whether it pays a living wage), the planet, and animals. You have a right to know how the products you buy affect the issues you care about. ThirdLove is rated “We Avoid” overall.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the rating.

We know how important underwear is, so if you’re on the lookout for size inclusive, sustainable, cool brands at different price points, have a look at the brands below.

Good swaps

“Good” and “Great” alternatives to ThirdLove

The post How Ethical Is ThirdLove? appeared first on Good On You.

An inherently unsustainable system

It’s no secret that the fashion industry produces way more than we’ll ever need. Fashion Revolution revealed that the number of garments produced annually has doubled since 2000 and exceeded 100 billion for the first time in 2014.

Why is that? With the advent of fast fashion, retailers started producing clothes at breakneck speed to get the newest styles on the market as fast as possible. The recent example of SHEIN, which may have added up to 314,877 new items to its US website since the beginning of the year, is the most poignant.

Sadly, every season about 30% of the clothes produced are never sold. So to make space for shinier items, that unsold stock has to go somewhere. But where?

Going up in flames

In 2017, it was revealed that H&M had been burning 12 tons of unsold clothing every year since 2013.

H&M isn’t the only culprit, and stories like this have revealed destroying—and especially burning—unsold stock is common practice in the fashion industry. Years before this story, the New York Times revealed it had found bags of H&M and Walmart clothing that had been slashed through, possibly to prevent them from being resold or returned for cash.

Where there is smoke, there is fire, and unfortunately, even luxury brands have been found guilty of destroying goods. In July 2018, Burberry reportedly burned unsold stock worth millions of dollars. In its annual report, the brand acknowledged that it had destroyed unsold goods worth up to £28.6 million, or US$37 million. Louis Vuitton, Coach, Michael Kors, and Juicy Couture have also been tied to this practice.

Burning stock is said to be the most cost-effective way for luxury brands to protect exclusivity and avoid devaluing their image. Luxury fashion is a status symbol, so burning excess inventory—as opposed to selling it at a discount—maintains the brand’s value and sense of exclusivity.

Sadly, every season about 30% of the clothes produced are never sold. So to make space for shinier items, that unsold stock has to go somewhere.

Many brands are also afraid of the “grey market” where genuine designer goods are bought cheaply and resold by others. In one case, Richemont, the parent company of fine watch brands such as Cartier and Montblanc, was caught up in controversy after it destroyed more than £400 million worth of designer timepieces in a bid to stop them from being sold by unauthorised vendors.

Luxury brands may also have a financial incentive to destroy unsold stock. For example, brands have to pay all sorts of taxes and charges to import goods into the USA. But if the goods are unsold, and the brand exports them again or destroys them under US customs supervision, they can recover up to 99% of the taxes and charges they paid in a process known as “drawback”. In the end, it can be cheaper (and entirely legal) for brands to destroy excess products rather than spend resources finding ways to repurpose or recycle them.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truckload of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill. But it’s hard to know exactly how much of it is unsold stock.

What’s the environmental impact of destroying stock?

When brands are accused of burning unsold stock, they often highlight that the energy generated from burning these products was captured, making it “environmentally friendly”. Really?

According to a report on sustainability and the fashion industry from the UK Parliament in February 2019, while burning unsold inventory might help recover some energy, it multiplies the actual climate impact of the products. When burning clothes, carbon dioxide and other gases are released into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and harming our health. The truth is, the energy recouped by burning goods is often nearly not enough to balance the energy required to produce the garments in the first place.

The energy recouped by burning goods is often nearly not enough to balance the energy required to produce the garments in the first place.

Plus, a lot of clothing these days is made of plastic, and the incineration of these clothes may release plastic microfibres into the atmosphere. Even if clothes aren’t burned and are “simply” dumped in landfills, they take years to decompose.  And landfills are said to be the third-largest source of methane emissions in the US.

“But why don’t they recycle the clothes?” you might ask. Well, contrary to popular belief, many of our clothes aren’t recyclable. The issue often stems from the fact that most of our clothing is made from a blend of natural and synthetic fibres that are difficult to separate. This, combined with the lack of reliable, large-scale fabric recycling technology means that disposed clothes often end up in landfills. In the US, only 13.6% of clothes and shoes thrown away are recycled, and just 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled. This 12% will likely be shredded and used as furniture stuffing or made into insulation or cleaning cloths, as shown in the short documentary “Unravel: The final resting place of your cast-off clothing“. Less than 1% of what is collected will be used to make new clothing.

Will brands ever stop burning unsold clothes?

Stories like Burberry’s and H&M’s have shocked shoppers around the globe, and the idea of a big pile of perfectly good items going up in flames left all of us stunned.

As a result, some brands have taken measures to reduce waste and have pledged to stop destroying unsaleable goods. But this is not enough.

Even with new groundbreaking legislation, as long as big fashion brands keep producing at a dangerously fast rate, we're in big trouble.

The issue comes from the traditional linear, take-make-waste model, where there’s only one way out for the tons of clothes produced each year. And even with new groundbreaking legislation, such as France’s law prohibiting the destruction of unsold goods, as long as big fashion brands keep producing at a dangerously fast rate, we’re in big trouble. There needs to be a shift to a more circular system that gives value to recycled and reclaimed goods where the focus is on the longevity and life cycle of our possessions.

Luckily, we’re seeing more and more sustainable brands moving towards circularity and implementing solutions to reuse waste, such as using deadstock fabric. But the burden of change can’t fall solely on small sustainable labels. Change needs to be systemic, and it needs to happen at every stage of a garment’s lifecycle—starting with major fashion players producing less.

What can we do to help?

Consumers also play a key role in reducing waste in the fashion industry. Here are some key actions you can take to align with circular fashion and reduce waste in the industry:

• Know about the brands you buy by using resources such as Good On You
• Support sustainable and ethical fashion
• Live by the five R’s of fashion
• Shop second hand where possible, or consider renting for your next event
• Host and attend clothes swaps
• Ask “What are the alternatives?” before throwing away used clothing

The post Why Do Some Fashion Brands Destroy and Burn Unsold Clothes? appeared first on Good On You.

Fashion Revolution Week 2022: Money Fashion Power

Fashion Revolution Week came about after the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh on 24 April 2013, which killed 1,138 people and injured another 2,500. Over the years since the tragedy, Fashion Revolution has become a global movement calling for the fashion industry to value people and planet over growth and profit..

The fashion industry is built on the exploitation of labour and natural resources, resulting in money and power being concentrated in the hands of a few. Because profit is prioritised over everything else, fashion brands are in a hectic race to produce more, more quickly, pushing us to buy more, more often. Those at the top of the supply chain keep cashing bigger cheques, while the people who make our clothes are still underpaid and unable to meet their basic needs. We talk a lot about how brands can protect the Earth and be more sustainable, but the truth is, there’s no sustainability without fair pay and safe working conditions.

That’s why Fashion Revolution Week 2022 focuses on the theme “Money Fashion Power“.

There is no sustainable fashion without fair pay. We are calling for new laws that require businesses to conduct due diligence on living wages. This will transform the lives and livelihoods of the people that make our clothes, and help redistribute money and power in the global fashion industry.

Fashion Revolution

This year again, ethical fashion lovers all over the world will be asking their favourite brands questions like #WhoMadeMyFabric? on social media. Throughout Fashion Revolution Week, Fashion Revolution will educate and inspire us on the real value of what we buy and wear.

During the week, you’ll be able to attend many digital and a few physical events, conferences, exhibitions, workshops, and even online public demonstrations—all spreading the word about building a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry.

Want to participate and make your voice heard? Here’s how you can join the Fashion Revolution online and offline this year.

Attend Fashion Revolution Week events and workshops

Fashion Revolution has planned an epic lineup of online events that will be streaming from all around the world.  Here are some of our favourites.

FOS x FRW 2022: Samiul Alam – Fashion: The Other Side

Join Bangladeshi designer Samiul Alam for an exhibition and video presentation of his collection: “Blood, Sweat & Tears”. Following the exhibition, Samiul will host an online discussion, including influential panellists, to be announced soon.

The Secret Life of Your Closet

We highly recommend joining this online masterclass if you’re interested in how to declutter, style, and safe keep your closet.

Fashion Beyond the Shopping Cart

A talk about fashion-related products that don’t involve buying an item: post-sales services, repair, personalisation, the rental market, the fashion experience, and digital fashion.

Fashion’s Obsession with Wealth

Join this panel discussion about how the younger generations are obsessed with status and luxury brands and try to mimic it through fast fashion (hauls).

Indigenous Fashion Panel

In this online panel discussion hosted by Fashion Revolution Canada, two clothing designers, a fashion researcher, and an artist who teaches traditional moosehide tanning will discuss the past, present, and future of Indigenous fashion.

Find more Fashion Revolution Week events

Post a selfie on your favourite social media platforms, tagging the brand you’re wearing and asking them #WhoMadeMyClothes? and #WhatsInMyClothes?

This is one of the easiest ways you can get involved in Fashion Revolution Week this year—and every year. If the brand doesn’t respond, keep asking. And don’t forget to tag Fashion Revolution @fash_rev so they can stay up to date with if and how brands respond.

Write an email to your favourite brand asking them #WhoMadeMyClothes?

Fashion Revolution has made this super easy to do for you by providing an amazing template, and a list of brands’ email addresses you can contact.

On the Good On You app, you can also send a message directly to a brand, urging them to do better or asking a question—you can also give positive feedback to brands you feel are doing great. To send your message, simply go to the “Your Voice” section at the end of each brand’s listing on the app.

The post How to Get Involved in Fashion Revolution Week 2022 appeared first on Good On You.

Superdry is making a start on sustainability

With more than 740 Superdry stores in 61 different countries, UK-based Superdry is a clothing brand with a significant presence around the world. We decided it was high time we took a closer look at the brand’s sustainable practices.

Founded in 2003, Superdry mixes Americana and Japanese inspirations and describes itself as “energy, creativity, an incubator for a new visual identity, inspired by community, culture, and collaboration.”

The brand also aims to “become the most sustainable listed global fashion brand by 2030”, but how realistic is it? How is Superdry impacting people, the planet, and animals? How ethical is Superdry?

Environmental impact

Superdry’s environment rating is “It’s a Start”. The brand uses some eco-friendly materials, including Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) cotton, in 30% of its cotton ranges. Superdry also reuses some of its offcuts to minimise textile waste.

It has set a deadline to eliminate hazardous chemicals by 2030 but there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target just yet. When it comes to water, Superdry says it “will baseline [its] water footprint in 2022, with the aim to reduce the water [it uses] in manufacturing [its] garments by 20% by 2025 and 40% by 2030”, and it’s good to see these water reduction initiatives in action across its supply chain.

Labour conditions

Superdry’s labour rating is also “Not Good Enough”. The brand proudly states it has “completed Phase 1 of [its] Respect and Dignity programme in India, empowering over 37% of [its] third-party factory workforce”. But this is not enough.

Some of its supply chain is certified by Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit – SMETA Best Practice Guidance and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). It received a score of 31-40% in the 2021 Fashion Transparency Index.

Worryingly, there is no evidence Superdry implements practices to support diversity and inclusion in most of its supply chain. We also found no evidence the brand ensures payment of a living wage. “Leading positive change” sounds good, but making sure workers are paid and treated fairly is better.

Animal welfare

Superdry goes back up to “It’s a Start” for animal welfare. The brand has a formal animal welfare policy aligned with the Five Freedoms and traces most animal products to the first production stage. But despite not using fur, exotic animal skin, or angora, it still uses leather, exotic animal hair, wool (though certified by the Responsible Wool Standard) and down (certified by the Responsible Down Standard).

Overall rating: It’s a Start

With an overall rating of “It’s a Start”, Superdry still has work to do to achieve its goal of becoming one of the most sustainable fashion brands in the world. The brand should start incorporating more sustainable and non-animal-derived materials and ensure it is on track with its elimination of hazardous chemicals. But more importantly, it needs to ensure workers across the entire supply chain are paid a living wage. There’s no sustainability without decent pay.

Note that Good On You ratings consider hundreds of issues, and it is not possible to list every relevant issue in a summary of the brand’s performance. For more information, see our How We Rate page and our FAQs.

See the April 2022 rating.

If you’re into “statement designs, unexpected prints, assured styles”, you’re in luck. We found ethical and sustainable alternatives to Superdry that are just as cool.

Good swaps

“Good” and “Great” alternatives to Superdry

The post How Ethical Is Superdry? appeared first on Good On You.

A tragic reality check for fashion

Clothes shopping used to be an occasional event—something that happened a few times a year when the seasons changed or when we outgrew what we had. But about 20 years ago, something changed. Clothes became cheaper, trend cycles sped up, and shopping became a hobby. Enter fast fashion and the global chains that now dominate our high streets and online shopping. But what is fast fashion? Why is fast fashion so bad? And how exactly does it impact people, the planet, and animals?

It was all too good to be true in the oughties. All these stores selling cool, trendy clothing you could buy with your loose change, wear a handful of times, and then throw away. Suddenly everyone could afford to dress like their favourite celebrity or wear the latest trends fresh from the catwalk.

Then in 2013, the world had a reality check when the Rana Plaza clothing manufacturing complex in Bangladesh collapsed, killing over 1,000 workers. That’s when consumers really started questioning fast fashion and wondering at the true cost of those $5 t-shirts. If you’re reading this article, you might already be aware of fast fashion’s dark side, but it’s worth exploring how the industry got to this point—and how we can help to change it.

What is fast fashion?

Fast fashion can be defined as cheap, trendy clothing that samples ideas from the catwalk or celebrity culture and turns them into garments in high street stores at breakneck speed to meet consumer demand. The idea is to get the newest styles on the market as fast as possible, so shoppers can snap them up while they are still at the height of their popularity and then, sadly, discard them after a few wears. It plays into the idea that outfit repeating is a fashion faux pas and that if you want to stay relevant, you have to sport the latest looks as they happen. It forms a key part of the toxic system of overproduction and consumption that has made fashion one of the world’s largest polluters. Before we can go about changing it, let’s take a look at the history.

How did fast fashion happen?

To understand how fast fashion came to be, we need to rewind a bit. Before the 1800s, fashion was slow. You had to source your own materials like wool or leather, prepare them, weave them, and then make the clothes.

The Industrial Revolution introduced new technology—like the sewing machine. Clothes became easier, quicker, and cheaper to make. Dressmaking shops emerged to cater to the middle classes.

Many of these dressmaking shops used teams of garment workers or home workers. Around this time, sweatshops emerged, along with some familiar safety issues. The first significant garment factory disaster was when a fire broke out in New York’s Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911. It claimed the lives of 146 garment workers, many of whom were young female immigrants.

By the 1960s and 70s, young people were creating new trends, and clothing became a form of personal expression, but there was still a distinction between high fashion and high street.

In the late 1990s and 2000s, low-cost fashion reached a peak. Online shopping took off, and fast-fashion retailers like H&M, Zara, and Topshop took over the high street. These brands took the looks and design elements from the top fashion houses and reproduced them quickly and cheaply. With everyone now able to shop for on-trend clothes whenever they wanted, it’s easy to understand how the phenomenon caught on.

How to spot a fast fashion brand

Some key factors are common to fast fashion brands:

• Thousands of styles, which touch on all the latest trends.
• Extremely short turnaround time between when a trend or garment is seen on the catwalk or in celebrity media and when it hits the shelves.
• Offshore manufacturing where labour is the cheapest, with the use of workers on low wages without adequate rights or safety and complex supply chains with poor visibility beyond the first tier.
• A limited quantity of a particular garment—this is an idea pioneered by Zara. With new stock arriving in store every few days, shoppers know if they don’t buy something they like, they’ll probably miss their chance.
• Cheap, low quality materials like polyester, causing clothes to degrade after just a few wears and get thrown away—not to mention the microfibre shedding issue.

Why is fast fashion bad? 

Polluting our planet

Fast fashion’s impact on the planet is immense. The pressure to reduce costs and speed up production time means environmental corners are more likely to be cut. Fast fashion’s negative impact includes its use of cheap, toxic textile dyes—making the fashion industry the one of the largest polluters of clean water globally, right up there with agriculture. That’s why Greenpeace has been pressuring brands to remove dangerous chemicals from their supply chains through its detoxing fashion campaigns through the years.

Cheap textiles also increase fast fashion’s impact. Polyester is one of the most popular fabrics. It is derived from fossil fuels, contributes to global warming, and can shed microfibres that add to the increasing levels of plastic in our oceans when washed. But even “natural” fabrics can be a problem at the scale fast fashion demands. Conventional cotton requires enormous quantities of water and pesticides in developing countries. This results in drought risks and creates extreme stress on water basins and competition for resources between companies and local communities.

The constant speed and demand mean increased stress on other environmental areas such as land clearing, biodiversity, and soil quality. The processing of leather also impacts the environment, with 300kg of chemicals added to every 900kg of animal hides tanned.

The speed at which garments are produced also means that more and more clothes are disposed of by consumers, creating massive textile waste. According to some statistics, in Australia alone, more than 500 million kilos of unwanted clothing ends up in landfill every year.

Exploiting workers

As well as the environmental cost of fast fashion, there’s a human cost.

Fast fashion impacts garment workers who work in dangerous environments, for low wages, and without fundamental human rights. Further down the supply chain, the farmers may work with toxic chemicals and brutal practices that can have devastating impacts on their physical and mental health, a plight highlighted by the documentary “The True Cost“.

Harming animals

Animals are also impacted by fast fashion. In the wild, the toxic dyes and microfibres released in waterways are ingested by land and marine life alike through the food chain to devastating effect. And when animal products such as leather, fur, and even wool are used in fashion directly, animal welfare is put at risk. As an example, numerous scandals reveal that real fur, including cat and dog fur, is often being passed off as faux fur to unknowing shoppers. The truth is that there is so much real fur being produced under terrible conditions in fur farms that it’s become cheaper to produce and buy than faux fur.

Coercing consumers

Finally, fast fashion can impact consumers themselves, encouraging a “throw-away” culture because of both the built-in obsolescence of the products and the speed at which trends emerge. Fast fashion makes us believe we need to shop more and more to stay on top of trends, creating a constant sense of need and ultimate dissatisfaction. The trend has also been criticised on intellectual property grounds, with some designers alleging that retailers have illegally mass-produced their designs.

Who are the big players?

Many retailers we know today as the fast fashion big players, like Zara or H&M, started as smaller shops in Europe around the 1950s. Technically, H&M is the oldest of the fast fashion giants, having opened as Hennes in Sweden in 1947, expanding to London in 1976, and before long, reaching the States in 2000.

Zara follows, which opened its first store in Northern Spain in 1975. When Zara landed in New York at the beginning of the 1990s, people first heard the term ‘fast fashion’. It was coined by the New York Times to describe Zara’s mission to take only 15 days for a garment to go from the design stage to being sold in stores.

Other big names in fast fashion today include UNIQLO, GAP, Primark, and TopShop. While these brands were once seen as radically cheap disruptors, there are now even cheaper and faster alternatives like SHEIN, Missguided, Forever 21, Zaful, Boohoo, and Fashion Nova. These brands are known as ultra fast fashion, a recent phenomenon which is as bad as it sounds.

Is fast fashion going green?

As an increasing number of consumers call out the true cost of the fashion industry, and especially fast fashion, we’ve seen a growing number of retailers introduce so-called sustainable and ethical fashion initiatives such as in-store recycling schemes. These schemes allow customers to drop off unwanted items in “bins” in the brands’ stores. But it’s been highlighted that only 0.1% of all clothing collected by charities and take-back programs is recycled into new textile fibre.

The underlying issue with fast fashion is the speed at which it is produced, putting massive pressure on people and the environment. Recycling and small eco or vegan clothing ranges—when they are not only for greenwashing—are not enough to counter the throw-away culture, the waste, the strain on natural resources, and the myriad of other issues created by fast fashion. The whole system needs to be changed.

Is fast fashion in decline?

We are starting to see some changes in the fashion industry. The anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse is now Fashion Revolution Week, where people all over the world ask questions like, “Who made my clothes?” and “What’s in my clothes?” Fashion Revolution declares that “we don’t want our clothes to exploit people or destroy our planet”.

Millennials and Gen Zers—the drivers of the future economy—may not have caught the fast fashion bug. Some have argued that this generation has “grown too clever for mindless consumerism, forcing producers to become more ethical, more inclusive, and more liberal”. However, ultra fast fashion brands like SHEIN are selling more than ever, and these young shoppers are their target market.

There is also a growing interest in moving towards a more circular textile production model, reusing materials wherever and whenever possible. In 2018, both Vogue Australia and Elle UK dedicated entire magazine issues to sustainable fashion, a trend being taken up each year by more and more big names.

What can we do?

At Good On You, we love this quote by British designer Vivienne Westwood, “buy less, choose well, make it last.”

Buying Less is the first step—try to fall back in love with the clothes you already own by styling them differently or even “flipping” them. Why not turn those old jeans into some trendy unhemmed shorts, or give that baggy old jumper new life by turning it into a crop? Creating a capsule wardrobe is also worth considering on your ethical fashion journey.

Choose Well is the second step, and choosing a high-quality garment made of eco-friendly fabric is essential here. There are pros and cons to all fibre types, as seen in our ultimate guide to clothing materials, but there is a helpful chart at the end to refer to when purchasing. Choosing well could also mean committing to shopping your closet first, only shopping second hand, or supporting more sustainable brands like those below.

Finally, we should Make It Last and look after our clothes by following the care instructions, wearing them until they are worn out, mending them wherever possible, then responsibly recycling them at the very end of their life.

Learn about fast fashion’s sustainable alternative, slow fashion

Here are some of our favourite brands giving fast fashion the flick and embodying a slow, circular,  more sustainable way of wearing:

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